The present invention relates to a porous membrane, process for the manufacture thereof and uses thereof.

The present invention relates to a porous membrane, process for the manufacture thereof and uses thereof.

The disclosure provides a method for producing a gas separation article, said gas separation article comprising: a gas separation membrane, optionally a support, and optionally an additional support said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a matrix comprising: a matrix material having a viscosity from 1 cP to 40000 cP, particles, said particles being free from functionalized carbon nanotubes, and optionally a solvent, b) contacting the matrix of step a) with a support comprising at least one side, said at least one side facing said matrix, thereby forming (i) a matrix side in contact with the support and (ii) a matrix side opposite the side in contact with the support, c) optionally contacting the matrix side opposite the side contacting the support with an additional support, d) subjecting said matrix being in contact with said support to one or more electric fields whereby the particles form particle groups in a plurality of substantially parallel planes, said particle groups in each of said plurality of substantially parallel planes being aligned substantially parallel with the one or more electric fields, e) fixating the matrix material so as to fixate the particle groups thereby forming a gas separation membrane, and f) optionally removing the support and/or the additional support.

The disclosure also provides a gas separation membrane obtainable by the aforementioned method as well as use thereof for separation of gases in a gas mixture.

The disclosure provides a method for producing a gas separation article, said gas separation article comprising: a gas separation membrane, optionally a support, and optionally an additional support said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a matrix comprising: a matrix material having a viscosity from 1 cP to 40000 cP, particles, said particles being free from functionalized carbon nanotubes, and optionally a solvent, b) contacting the matrix of step a) with a support comprising at least one side, said at least one side facing said matrix, thereby forming (i) a matrix side in contact with the support and (ii) a matrix side opposite the side in contact with the support, c) optionally contacting the matrix side opposite the side contacting the support with an additional support, d) subjecting said matrix being in contact with said support to one or more electric fields whereby the particles form particle groups in a plurality of substantially parallel planes, said particle groups in each of said plurality of substantially parallel planes being aligned substantially parallel with the one or more electric fields, e) fixating the matrix material so as to fixate the particle groups thereby forming a gas separation membrane, and f) optionally removing the support and/or the additional support.

The disclosure also provides a gas separation membrane obtainable by the aforementioned method as well as use thereof for separation of gases in a gas mixture.

The present disclosure provides a method for producing a gas separation article, said gas separation article comprising: a gas separation membrane, optionally a support, and optionally an additional support, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a matrix, said matrix having a viscosity from 1 centipoise to 40000 centipoise, said matrix comprising or consisting of one or more monomers, oligomers and/or polymers, and optionally a solvent, b) contacting the matrix of step a) with a support comprising at least one side, said at least one side facing said matrix, thereby forming (i) a matrix side contacting the support and (ii) a matrix side opposite the side contacting the support, c) optionally contacting the matrix side opposite the side contacting the support with an additional support, d) subjecting said matrix contacted with said support to one or more electric fields that is/are substantially parallel to a plane in which the support extends, or substantially perpendicular to a plane in which the support extends e) fixating the one or more monomers, oligomers and/or polymers of the matrix subjected to one or more electric fields in step d) thereby forming a solid gas separation membrane, and f) optionally removing the support and/or the additional support.

The present disclosure also gas separation article obtainable by the aforementioned method as well as use of said gas separation article for separation of gases in a gas mixture.

A nanomembrane and a forming method thereof are provided. The nanomembrane according to embodiments of the present invention comprises an elastomer layer and nanostructures disposed on the elastomer layer. The method for forming a nanomembrane according to embodiments of the present invention comprises forming a nanocomposite solution comprising nanostructures and an elastomer solution, forming an elastomer solution layer by providing the nanocomposite solution on a first solvent, and forming an elastomer layer by drying the elastomer solution layer, and forming a nanomembrane comprising the elastomer layer and the nanostructures bonded to the elastomer layer. The nanocomposite solution is formed by mixing the nanostructures and the elastomer solution with a second solvent, and the elastomer solution is formed by mixing elastomer and a third solvent.

Composite materials for removing hydrophobic components from a fluid include a porous matrix polymer, carbon nanotubes grafted to surfaces of the porous matrix polymer, and polystyrene chains grafted to the carbon nanotubes. Examples of porous matrix polymer include polyurethanes, polyethylenes, and polypropylenes. Membranes of the composite material may be enclosed within a fluid-permeable pouch to form a fluid treatment apparatus, such that by contacting the apparatus with a fluid mixture containing water and a hydrophobic component, the hydrophobic component absorbs selectively into the membrane. The apparatus may be removed from the fluid mixture and reused after the hydrophobic component is expelled from the membrane. The composite material may be prepared by grafting functionalized carbon nanotubes to a porous matrix polymer to form a polymer-nanotube composite, then polymerizing styrene onto the carbon nanotubes of the polymer-nanotube composite.

Composite materials for removing hydrophobic components from a fluid include a porous matrix polymer, carbon nanotubes grafted to surfaces of the porous matrix polymer, and polystyrene chains grafted to the carbon nanotubes. Examples of porous matrix polymer include polyurethanes, polyethylenes, and polypropylenes. Membranes of the composite material may be enclosed within a fluid-permeable pouch to form a fluid treatment apparatus, such that by contacting the apparatus with a fluid mixture containing water and a hydrophobic component, the hydrophobic component absorbs selectively into the membrane. The apparatus may be removed from the fluid mixture and reused after the hydrophobic component is expelled from the membrane. The composite material may be prepared by grafting functionalized carbon nanotubes to a porous matrix polymer to form a polymer-nanotube composite, then polymerizing styrene onto the carbon nanotubes of the polymer-nanotube composite.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for purifying aqueous solutions. For example, disclosed herein are flexible membrane distillation systems comprising one or more stages stacked on top of each other, wherein each stage comprises: a feedwater layer; a membrane distillation layer; a distillate layer; and a thermally conductive layer. The systems further comprise substantially impermeable top surface, bottom surface, and perimeter. Each feedwater layer is independently receives a portion of a contaminated aqueous solution (a feed solution). Each feedwater layer further receives heat from a heat source to distill at least a portion of the feed solution through the membrane distillation layer, thereby producing a distillate in the distillate layer. Distilling said portion of the feed solution through the membrane distillation layer purifies said portion of the feed solution to produce a purified aqueous solution, which is condensed in the distillate layer to form a condensate.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for purifying aqueous solutions. For example, disclosed herein are flexible membrane distillation systems comprising one or more stages stacked on top of each other, wherein each stage comprises: a feedwater layer; a membrane distillation layer; a distillate layer; and a thermally conductive layer. The systems further comprise substantially impermeable top surface, bottom surface, and perimeter. Each feedwater layer is independently receives a portion of a contaminated aqueous solution (a feed solution). Each feedwater layer further receives heat from a heat source to distill at least a portion of the feed solution through the membrane distillation layer, thereby producing a distillate in the distillate layer. Distilling said portion of the feed solution through the membrane distillation layer purifies said portion of the feed solution to produce a purified aqueous solution, which is condensed in the distillate layer to form a condensate.